Award winner Kristie makes wood work
8 October 2010
It took a significant amount of hard work, dedication and talent to propel Kangan Institute graduate Kristie Clay towards her award at the recent 2010 Cabinet Makers Association (CMA) Awards.
At a ceremony conducted earlier this month, Kristie - who attended the awards dinner with her mother, and Kangan Institute trainers Chris Arnold and Beau Leonard - won the Pre-Apprenticeship 2010 Forestworks Training Award for both her folio of work, and her handcrafted modern-solid-design bedside tables.
Kristie felt incredible about winning the award.
"When I found out it was absolutely fantastic," Kristie says, "I was honoured to receive such a prestigious award."
The CMA awards night focuses on excellence within the cabinet making industry, and selects winners based on quality, originality, design flair and innovative use of materials. Kristie's pair of handcrafted Victorian Ash bedside tables clearly ticked all the boxes.
It's been a rollercoaster ride for Kristie, who deeply impressed her trainers during her five-month pre-apprenticeship Certificate II in Furnishing (Cabinet Making), long before she submitted her work CMA award consideration.
Beau Leonard, one of Kristie's trainers from Kangan Institute's Built & Natural Environments department, has nothing but praise for Kristie.
"Kristie's just a great, proactive student," Beau says, "A textbook success story. When she arrived she came with little more than a genuine desire to learn and deliver great work.
"Fast-forward a few months of training and solid effort, and she's making award-winning furniture and looking towards a really bright future."
Following on from her recent award, Kristie has decided to use her qualification with Kangan to launch her into a pathway program to continue her studies, applying for a two-year Diploma of Furniture Design and Technology at RMIT.
"The best part is being able to manipulate the wood to exactly match my own design" Kristie says, "And with another friend finishing their apprenticeship soon, we're even considering setting up our own business down the track."
With a clear passion and natural ability for this work, Kristie seems to have found her calling - building a terrific career through building outstanding furniture.
